Heaven and Earth
by lapin en fleur
Summary: "She's not one of us!" Is what they had said. "Send her back!" But it was the compassion of a certain few that allowed her to stay and flourish among them proving that not always were outsiders bad. For both good and ill the little city elf stayed among her aloof brethren and discovered what heritage had been deprived of her in the city, along with love and jealousy. [Pre-Origins]
1. Serendipity

**CHAPTER ONE: SERENDIPITY**

"You were nothing more than a beautiful accident allowed to survive only by sheer luck."

* * *

"Oh Maker, what did you do?" a voice spoke, the owner's hands flying to her lips as her eyes widened with certain fear.

"Shianni," the other began, quiet with her own hands raised to show the red tainting the pale brown tips "I hurt someone."

Those words haunted the little elven woman as she ran. Her breath heaved through her paling lips in great white puffs as her lungs thumped painfully against her chest. Normally it would have been she who had to have asked her outspoken cousin the exact same question but due to recent events their roles had been greatly switched. And what had happened had been by far one of the worst things that either of them had ever done which resulted in running away in the dead of night. Quiet and in secret to avoid the guards who sought her out.

When the girl did manage to make it through safely not only was it a joyous moment but also a heart wrenching one. Not only did she leave her life behind but also the family that it had been so closely tied to. They prayed for her safety but she prayed for theirs as well. Maker only knew just how cruel the guards could be to those who couldn't defend themselves.

Running through the cold forest in a simple dress underneath a thin cloak had been both bone chilling and difficult. The moonlight overhead shone through the dense foliage, just barely making enough light to see a few feet ahead, and in a certain way it made the surrounding area glow with a sinister aura. Both terrifying and proud, this world proved to be so much different from the safe yet arduous place the little creature had been fleeing from. In a way she was amazed by it for this had been her very first time seeing so many trees in one spot. It almost made the vhenadahl look like a small soldier against an army. Or perhaps the vhenadahl made them look like peasants among a king, one couldn't know for sure. But what was known was the fact that the girl had little time to stand around and be in awe of such trivial things. She had to go before it was too late.

Beneath her feet the cold earth had been beaten down and squished between her toes. Along the way she had lost her boots. They were just a little too big and in turn they were slowing her escape so she ended up just taking them off and tossing them into some bushes to the side. In the end it proved to be easier and slightly more comfortable to feel the dirt and soil as the wind rushed past her. Despite the circumstances it was agreed that never before had she felt so free than the moment she left the dirty city she had called home her entire life. A terrible yet beautiful thing this escape was, like a lovely but deadly accident.

Dodging trees had proven to be the most trying aspect, however. Despite how she moved to the side there had always been another hidden and revealed just in time before she ran into it. They reached out to her, scratching her warm flesh with their claw like branches and some even drew blood as her body rushed by them. But with each scratch that had been obtained she told herself that it was far less painful than what she would have received if she stayed behind. Maker only knew what would have become of her and just thinking about it made her shiver worse than the bitter night air. Her heart lurched with the thought of her father and her cousins who stayed behind so valiantly. She didn't even get to say goodbye or say thank you and they could already be paying for her mistakes as she ran for her life.

Suddenly the girl came to an overhang and if it weren't for her quick stopping she would have fallen down it's steep edge. From what her eyes could see it wasn't too big of a drop but still one large enough to cause damage if she wasn't careful. Studying it for a moment gave her a chance to catch her breath and listen to what surrounded her. It was clear from the serene silence that the only intruder had been her and not quite yet had the guards been alerted to the elf's escape. Though that had been a victory in itself the girl suddenly forced herself to think of the other half of her plan. Unfortunately it failed to occur to her that with the leaving of one place she needed to find another to go to which would be the most difficult part of this entire thing. Nobody wanted to take her kind, especially if they were to find out she left the alienage without much choice. Her already slim chances had become even slimmer, most unfortunately.

"Never mind figuring out where I'm going to end up," she muttered to herself as a sad, tired and breathy laugh left her lips. "I can't even finish leaving."

Terribly enough, as the girl stood gazing out into the darkness of the thick forest it was made clear that she didn't even know where she was. West was all that she could configure but that was about it. Perhaps a few hours west but again she had no idea. Between the concentration of making sure she avoided the guards and actually did get out she had somewhere along the way forgot to keep these little things in mind. But it was then and there the girl declared not to let that stop her. She turned slightly to gaze out into the wilderness behind her, and as she stared she knew that the guards would be searching for her and would be until she was dead. They didn't like thieves getting away, especially "knife-ears" like her. They especially hated when elves got to go free.

So instead of squandering this bit of freedom with menial questions the girl turned her golden eyes forward to continue her escape. With one leg forward and clinging to the small ledge she dangled midair until she let go. A few sharp rocks cut her feet and after a brief second of painful ows the girl merely ignored the pain to keep running. Quietly, hidden beneath the trees and her path illuminated by just the moonlight, she fled into the darkness. There was no way in this world would she allow the humans to win. Never.

* * *

"I'm telling you, I hear something." a dark haired elven male spoke, his eyes darting around their surroundings as he did so.

His blond companion paused his chewing as he shook his head, a smile curling the corner of his lips. "And I'm telling you you're just imagining things. Now would you calm down and eat before I eat for you? I slaved over thi -"

However with the sudden shushing sound erupting from the dark haired elf, the blond furrowed his brows as he quietly chewed on his food again. He had always been so cautious, even at very unnecessary times, and right at the moment it felt very ridiculous. The camp had been a fair ways away from Denerim and the main road so it was doubted that it was anything too serious. The most it could have been was wolves or a bear but that in itself was doubted too. Wolves rarely attacked large groups and there hadn't been any sign of bears so for the most part the chance of anything being around was slim. It was all really silly.

"It's probably just birds, or a rabbit. Now would you settle down?"

"It's coming from over there."

Being completely ignored the blond rolled his eyes as he watched his friend get up and quietly make his way towards his suspicions. The early morning daylight filtered through the leaves and the moment he walked away from the small fire he could feel his limbs begin to chill over. His breath was light but still he saw the frozen puffs filter through. With slow and careful movements he grabbed his bow from his back along with an arrow in case he needed to shoot down a predator. His green eyes flicked back and forth to make sure he saw whatever it was before it saw him.

"You're a fool, lethallin," a hushed voice whispered beside him as his friend's own risen bow came into view beside him. "But I can't let you be a fool by yourself."

Their eyes met for just a moment, a silent conversation between clan mates, before they pressed on together. The crisp morning air kept them ever alert and they both had their cat-like eyes upon the mist should something appear. They were quiet, both their lips in a hard line, and for just a moment they paused. Something was definitely out there. It was in the air.

They stalked through the mist and they passed by a large tree. With the coming cold season it's leaves had already begun to fall to the earthy floor but due to the condensation surrounding them the leaves did not crunch beneath their weight as they walked. They were thankful for this but at the same time they were also resentful. It was a lot easier to pinpoint something if they were able to hear it by any means and without such an upper hand it could have easily been their own downfall. But still they didn't let that stop them. They just had to be extra vigilant in their search to make sure whatever it was didn't obtain their own surprise tactic.

Suddenly something stirred to their right and in unison they turned to face it should it have been a predator. The green bushes moved and both the elves muscles tensed as they waited to shoot whatever it was down should it have lunged forward. The bush continued to stir and as they readied themselves it revealed itself.

"A crow?" the blond said then as his blue eyes watched the dark creature fly to a tree overhead. "You were all worked up because of a crow?"

The men lowered their bows for just a moment, both of their eyes upon the creature who cocked it's head down at them, and for a second their spirits lightened. The blond shook his head as his companion clicked at it, trying to coerce it down but all it did was caw endlessly at him.

"I'm heading back to the fire, Theron. This little adventure of yours has made me hungry, and cold."

"You keep eating like that Tamlen," the one said to his fair haired friend. "You're going to need a lot of these "adventures" in your life to help you lose the weight."

Tamlen scoffed as he turned around to eye his friend and for a moment they both smirked at one another. The two had an interesting friendship, always teasing one another with the occasional fight thrown in, but for the most part they were tied at the hip. Theron had usually been the more cautious of the two while Tamlen was a little more reckless with his curiosity. Though of course there had been the times when they switched those roles but for the most part it was Theron who kept his guard up and it was Tamlen who usually brought the color into their lives. The Keeper had mentioned on countless occasions that they were complimentary to one another, like fire to ice and summer to winter. One without the other was like a half without it's mate, unthinkable really.

"I'm just preparing for winter. You'd be wise to do that too." Tamlen said then in an attempt to defend his eating habits. Theron stood quiet for a moment and watched as the bird cawed off into the distance and flew off. Tamlen had been muttering to himself about something while Theron continued to stand in place.

"Are you coming?" his friend asked then, his words dragging him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, just go on without me. I'll catch up." he responded as his eyes met with Tamlen's blue ones.

"Suit yourself. But if you freeze out here it won't be on my hea-"

Suddenly something came rolling out of the mist beside them and in a great dark fury the creature tumbled into Tamlen who cried out as he had been knocked downward. Theron quickly readied himself as he ran towards his companion to help him out of the strange mess and like a trapped animal the blond wiggled his way out from underneath whatever it was that had just crashed into him. Theron's arms tensed as his dark eyes stare at the thing while Tamlen gathered his bow from a few feet away. When he had also readied he took his place beside his friend and together they drew close to whatever it was. Despite the force it had behind it's charge it was actually quite small.

"W-what is that thing?" Tamlen questioned with both fright and anger.

"I'm not a thing," it responded in a muffled way "I'm an elf."

The creature stirred and within moments it had revealed itself. The dark mess proved to be a cloak and underneath it was a female with dark skin and freckles. Both her white curls and white dress were filthy and unkempt, there was a certain weariness in her eyes backed by a gentle firmness. Though she looked unarmed it certainly appeared that she wouldn't go down without a fight, that was made certain by how she refused to cower before two well armed men who had their weapons locked onto her.

"An elf? From the city?" Tamlen hissed, the words sinking in. "You're a flat-ear then. As good as any human, we should kill you right here."

"Go ahead. I'd rather die out here by your hands then by any other means." the girl replied, her voice soft and tired but unyielding. Either she was very brave or very stupid to say things like that to strangers who were quite prepared to do such a thing. Theron watched her curiously as Tamlen continued to sneer at her. There was something about the girl that looked tired and pretty much ready for anything, good or ill.

"You dare say that to an armed elf? Did you hit your head when you fe-"

"What's your name?" Theron asked then, cutting off Tamlen who in turn shot him a glare. The girl's eyes turned to him and for a moment she stayed quiet, unsure of what to say to the man who had just spoken. The world surrounding them had been cold and underneath her cloak the girl shivered.

"It's Bo." the girl finally responded, her eyes watching him intently.

"Now why did you leave, Bo?" Theron questioned and watched as the girl removed her eyes from his to stare at the ground. There certainly was something peculiar about her but at the same time he couldn't really pinpoint what exactly it was. Instead he continued to be calm and gentle about things in order to prevent any violent outcome. Tamlen, on the other hand, stood at his side with a bit of disbelief and resent coating his facial features. He didn't trust the girl and he found it hard to belief that Theron of all people was willing to hear someone like her out.

"I left because..." she began, her eyes staying upon the ground. "I stole something."

"Great, a thief, just what we need." Tamlen hissed again as his eyes burned into the top of her head. It was clear she was holding something back but at the same time Theron felt compelled to lower his weapon.

"Calm yourself, lethallin," Theron said as he touched his friend's raised arms to help him lower it. "We will take her to the Keeper and her fate will be left in her hands."

"But why should we! She's as good as any shem!" He protested as he watched the other male walk towards the girl to help her up. "She could be trouble!"

"It's Marethari's choice, not ours." He answered with a firm tone in order to make himself clear. Defeated and unhappy Tamlen stood silent as he watched his friend walk off with outsider who had just barreled into him. After a deep and irritated sigh left his lips Tamlen swallowed the rest of his protests in order to follow them back to the main camp. It wasn't just the crisp morning air that made his fingertips numb. There was something about the girl that he didn't like but for the time being it was apparent he needed to put those feelings aside.


	2. Mercy

**CHAPTER TWO: MERCY**

"You wielded kindness as mighty as any sword and never was there a falter in your arm when you swung."

* * *

The walk didn't take long. The sun gradually rose up in the distance with each passing second but still the dense mist hung around, desperately clinging to the earth like a small child held onto it's mother when something threatened to tear them apart. Like a prisoner the girl tailed the darker haired male while the other behind her glowered. It was obvious he didn't take too kind to outsiders and it was more than apparent that he hated the idea of taking one to their Keeper. Already she could feel the sting of their hatred but in all honesty she wasn't too bothered by it. After years of growing up in the alienage it was just something you were forced to accept.

As the trio followed the path there had been a sudden feeling in the mist that unsettled Bo. It was a heavy feeling, like something was out there. Her eyes scanned the horizon and nothing could be seen which only made her that much more anxious. It didn't have the dread feeling in which predators invoked but more or less the kind that a stalker possessed. Always there watching and waiting, forcing the hairs on your arms to rise and stay erect.

"Andaran atish'an," the man in front of her spoke as he waved something off. "it's all right. She is unarmed and we wish to speak with the Keeper."

Unsure of who the man's words had been directed toward she watched him curiously until the mist began to move. From behind the trees other elves had appeared with their weapons locked onto them and despite her moment of curiosity she became very aware that these elves hated her just as much as the humans if not worse. Behind their tattooed faces their eyes watched her, animosity tracing every inch of their steely gazes, and all she did in return was watch them. Tamlen on the other hand finally felt like he was apart of this movement. No longer was it just himself who disapproved of some outsider's presence being among them.

The moment the group finished their walk and broke over a small hill they had been greeted by a woman. Her eyes were dark and she stared firmly at both of the men who escorted Bo to their camp. She had thin lips and they were held in a firm line until she finally spoke.

"Is this truly wise, Theron?"

The male didn't falter as he had been subjugated to her dark gaze, a secret flashing behind their pool of shade as if taunting him. "I believe it's wise to let our Keeper decide, Sylaine. Our choice in this matters little."

Despite the woman's carefulness in keeping her expression the same it had been very clear that there had been some friction. Her lips tightened and her gaze became that of a leer as she stared at the male before her. They continued their secret conversation as both Bo and the others surrounding them watched. It was quiet and the smell of the morning kept the world and time itself from stopping.

"Speaking of the Keeper," Bo heard from behind and watched as the blond male strode to her side, ignoring her to prevent Theron and Sylaine from further continuing whatever it was that they were doing. "we should get back to seeing her. We'll know what to do with this flat-ear when the time has come."

The woman and her dark eyes flashed toward Tamlen and they didn't soften in the least despite sharing obvious feelings towards the entire situation. No words had been spoken as she moved out of the way to let them pass. The others only did so grudgingly and as the three pressed onward the heat from their glares burned into their backs. Like a prisoner Bo kept her eyes upon the ground and her lips shut. She never thought she'd think it but for the first time in her life she had wished to be back with the humans in their dirty city. At least they were upfront with their hatred instead of masking it behind undesired politeness.

Walking through the camp the girl saw strange ship-like things with bright red sails littering the surrounding area. There were at least a dozen and despite not really understanding them it had been noted that they were beautiful with their bright red silks hanging down against the dark wood. Perhaps once she had heard a few people speak of these strange things that the dalish had but if they did say what they were the term had been lost to her for a long time. For now they were simply beautiful with their dark colors against their pale and misty background. A strange yet aesthetic contrast.

Then, as they passed by a few more of the strange things, a woman had come forth. She was older but certainly not withered like it was expected for elders to be. Instead she had an aged grace to her and her green eyes held many secrets and stories behind them. As Bo's gaze had fallen upon this woman her heart had calmed slightly like a child who had been safely reunited with it's mother. For a moment the girl had forgotten that she was in unsafe territory.

"Aneth ara, da'len," she spoke then as her eyes stared at the group before her, particularly at it's leader. "I had heard that there is an outsider among us. I take it this is she?"

Theron had bowed his head before this woman as she acknowledged him. At her side Tamlen had done the same and uncertain of what she should do the girl had done nothing. Behind her the eyes of the other elves burned into her and with the silence came the sound of light whispering. There had been a particular sound that could be heard, the sound of one word being tossed around, and even though she didn't understand it she knew it was an insult. Ashamed for both her ignorance and unwelcome presence among them she lowered her eyes to find a nice patch of grass at her feet.

"Tell me child," the girl had heard then but made sure to keep her eyes upon the ground. "why is it you refuse to look at me?"

Without a single second between the question and the answer she had replied quickly. "Because I am unworthy of such a privilege, My Lady."

There had been a certain feeling in the air now. It was hard to describe but it was a feeling of amused confusion. No one would say it but they were certainly both appalled and astonished by the girl's response. Those surrounding them certainly stopped their whispering just to hear more of what was taking place.

Suddenly a warm touch could be felt underneath her chin and gently it pulled her gaze upward to make her look into the older woman's eyes. "You needn't address me in such a way. I am no human, nor are you a human's servant any longer."

There had been a brief moment in which the two held one another's eye. There was much behind the green gaze that intrigued Bo. There was a warmth hidden in them that had calmed and settled her weary heart. This feeling had been felt a long time ago with someone in particular who the girl hadn't thought about in a long while and for a moment her throat had tightened as her eyes continued to stare into the green ones. Before it could manifest anymore she had quickly thrown that reverie into the back of her mind to keep herself from crying.

"Now tell me, why is it you left and had come here?" the woman stated as she left go of her chin. Swallowing a hard, dry lump Bo had sought her memory for help. Recalling the days prior had been a bit difficult but with a push she had managed to do so. The smell of alcohol and wet rust had been the most prominent thing in her mind and in it's memory a shiver ran down her spine.

"It was early in the evening and I was returning home after finishing a day at the tavern I had worked at," she began as her eyes had once again fallen to the ground below her, her fingers touching the hem of her dirty shirt. "I had saved up each pay that I had earned for the past three days in order to buy my father some medicine because he was sick. But I didn't have enough and desperate to make him better I stole some."

It had been quiet as the story had been digested before the Keeper had responded. "And you had run from the guards to come here?"

"Not intentionally, no. I was running and had planned to keep running when I had... tripped down a hill and had landed upon one of your people." The moment the words had left her lips the blond at her side flushed slightly. The Keeper had noticed his sudden change in character and her eyes had flashed towards him. Quickly he looked away and said nothing. Apparently this had embarrassed him greatly.

But then the Keeper turned back to her and once more she questioned the girl. "What is it that you plan to do now?"

Opening her mouth to respond with the honest answer that it was the best to her beliefs that she left, someone else had answered for her. Up until now Theron had been quiet with his watching and simply let whatever it was that was happening play out without interference. It wasn't so much that he finally spoke up that amazed them but rather what he had said did most of the blowing away.

"She should stay."

Even the Keeper looked puzzled as she stare at the male. "If this is truly what you believe, da'len, would it be for the best is what concerns me?"

The male stepped a little closer as he had spoken to his Keeper. "It is rare that we have newcomers among us and very few that show promise at that. Not only did she manage to make her way here and live but not once has she shown fear in our presence, much of what some of our own lack."

The Keeper's facial features changed little but it was clear that she had been thinking about it.

"Keeper! You can't truly believe this, can you?" Tamlen then spoke up as he shifted his weight. "Outsiders bring trouble! They could put us in danger! Do you really wish to put all of us in harm's way over this- this elvhen'alas!"

"We are always in danger," she responded as her gaze had fallen upon the blond. "That is the price we pay for living free."

Knowing that he had been defeated just as quick as he spoke up Tamlen hushed the rest of his thoughts. The Keeper once again looked towards the girl and they held each other's eye.

"Is this what you wish? To find a place among your people and protect what little of our heritage we have?"

Again, there wasn't a single second between the question and answer. "If I may be allowed, yes."

The Keeper gave her a warm smile as she nodded. "Then it will be these two who will teach you to find your way among us. May you find warmth in our embrace, lethallan."

Despite being accepted among them she certainly didn't feel welcomed. The feeling of the other's eyes burning into her back made her feel like turning around to leave but knowing that would probably be a lot worse than being here she tried to drown it out. The Keeper had bowed before turning to leave herself and just like that everyone else returned to their places leaving Tamlen and Theron with their charge. It was clear that Tamlen had no intention of wanting to stay any longer either. Which in the end just made things worse.

"Perhaps its best we find a way to clean you up." Theron had said as he glanced her over, his eyes staring at the dirt clinging to her.

"If you want to clean up your new pet, fine by me. But don't expect me to help with that just because the Keeper said so." Tamlen hissed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The darker haired male frowned at the blond who acted like a jealous child. "Stop being an ass. She is our sister now, we have to help our family any way that we can."

Tamlen himself scowled as he stare at the two. "No flat-ear is my sister. You clean her up if you want to so bad I'm going to go find Fenarel."

The blond then pushed passed the two as he stormed away leaving the girl with her apparent teacher alone. It was quiet and despite it being relatively barren in the camp the sounds of daily life could be heard. It vaguely reminded her of her home and as her thoughts lingered upon the family she left the feeling of homesickness welled in her stomach as a tight knot. Maybe it was the fact she was cold, tired and hungry but right now she just wanted to lay down and forsake everything kind.

"You'll have to forgive everyone's animosity," she heard then and her attention turned to Theron. "We haven't had too many kind encounters with outsiders before and they're more scared than they are angry."

The girl's yellow eyes danced upon him and he returned her gaze with his own. It was quiet then and for a moment she didn't really know what to say. It was then that this girl had truly noticed this man and who he was. His markings made him look fierce and in a certain way it made it seem like he was angry but if you looked closely his facial expression proved he didn't feel such strong emotions. Instead he looked gentle for a man with a strong build and even more so considering how stoic he was. In some ways he even looked sad but never did he appear hostile or irritated. Nevertheless the girl merely nodded in response and quickly looked away from him. "It's all right. This is how we felt in the alienage whenever humans came around so I understand where they are coming from."

The man had fallen silent and so did she. It was peculiar but despite how everyone else had been he had yet to show the same kind of hatred. Vaguely she wondered if he could trust him but at this point in time she had yet to be given a reason not to. Besides the Keeper he was the only one who hadn't sneered at her like the others had.

"Thank you." she said then as her eyes had stayed upon the grass.

"For what?" he asked, his eyes watching her.

"For showing me kindness that the others have been right not to show."

A little taken aback by such words he merely shook his head in response. "It's all right, someone should. But perhaps it's best to get you cleaned up and fed because we'll start your training today."

The girl nodded and followed the man. For the rest of their time together they had been quiet and enjoyed the silence that lingered.


	3. Effervescent

**CHAPTER THREE: EFFERVESCENT**

"You used to laugh and it used to ring with the ferocity of just how alive you were once."

* * *

"Oh, tell me what it was like!" A young woman had said, her earth colored eyes large and full of wonder. "Oh please! I love to hear stories so much!"

"Merrill," Theron had said quietly as he watched the happy First bounce around with excitement. "She's been through a lot. Why not after?"

Merrill's gaze had shot from Bo to the man who had stared at her with a bit of a pleading look behind his eyes. The woman looked a bit sad as she gave a low huff, defeated for only the moment, and quickly began to apologize for being annoying with all of her questions and pleas. Bo merely watched her with a very unsure stare but with a bit of kindness and relief realizing that apparently not everyone in the camp hated her. It was a bit peculiar how this one had come to join them. Shortly after the blond male left Theron had brought her somewhere to find some clean clothes and bathing stuff. As he had gone leaving her alone and standing awkwardly about the other female had just popped out of nowhere and began to assault her with questions. Honestly she seemed harmless and actually quite friendly if not too accepting and it kind of caught the little city elf off guard. Bo had actually been half expecting the dark haired girl to threaten her the moment they first made eye contact but shortly after an excited gasp she began to ask how life was where she came from. At that point Bo realized that she was probably just as safe with her as she was with Theron which was quite welcomed. Not to mention a little odd but still.

Unfortunately Merrill had been a bit of a puppy and tagged along with them as if they were her new owners. Though it had only been ten minutes since their initial meeting Bo had already been asked fifty different questions which all had something to do with the Alienage. Being the relatively quiet person that she was, the white haired woman sort of feared the times when she was to be left alone with Merrill. It would have been... awkward, to say in the least and even thinking about it made her slightly nervous.

"There's a little lake over there," Theron had said then as they came to a stop. "It's just behind those bushes and I will be here in case there's trouble. Just call for me and I will come."

Bo stare at him for a moment and briefly thought about what would happen should she actually have found trouble and needed rescuing. There would probably be lots of awkward meeting of the eyes and flushed cheeks, water splashing and random apologies alongside slaying whatever it was that caused the trouble. It actually would have been quite humorous if it wasn't more of a terrifying thought.

"No I'll be fine." Bo said then as she quickly looked away from the male while pushing by him, the thoughts semi-permanent alongside unpleasant.

"Alright." He answered without too much difference in his stature.

"I'll come with you!" Merrill offered then, extremely excited to get some one on one time with the outsider, but had been held back by Theron who gave a disapproving look at her. The city elf didn't look behind her as she continued on her way and as the girl went passed the bushes she found herself in slight awe of the bright and clear water that lay only a good few feet from her. The girl's first thoughts had been that this bathing area had been much cleaner than the one at home though a little more unsafe and out in the open. It smelled clean and fresh and for a moment she thought of Shianni who would have absolutely adored this. For just a moment a painful stab rammed through her heart with thoughts of her cousin flashing through her mind. How she missed them so.

Setting the bundle of things down near by the shore the little elf began to take off the top layer of filth. First her long fingers unwrapped the green sash from her waist and then the once-ivory shirt followed shortly after. It was a lot colder now without a top and she shivered but the girl decided to face the chill rather than fester in grime any longer. Next had been the white collar from her neck then the skirt from her hips. Standing in just her small clothes the white haired girl stare at the water and saw herself in it's reflection. Just a few days before she had peered into a cup at the tavern and saw nothing more than a wide-eyed and naive little thing while here and now she appeared more grown up and aged. A light laugh fell through her plump lips at the thought. Just a few days ago all she had been was a young girl with clean hands. Both physically and metaphorically.

Regardless the girl finished with getting undressed and threw the rest of her dirty cloth onto the pile and braved the water. Her toes had been the first to go and though all right in the beginning the rest of her body chilled down as it entered the water. Her breasts grew round and plump with the sudden cold and a shiver ran down her spine. Stopping the moment her lower half became fully submerged, the female found that the lake had been a lot deeper than it had appeared from the shore. Deciding this was as far as she would go, she paused, removed her arms from across her chest allowing it to be subjugated to the cold air and simply gazed up at the bright sky. As always it had been beautiful and for a moment her thoughts wandered. To nothing particular, however, but just around. There had been a lot to take in within such a short amount of time.

Inhaling a deep breath, Bo decided to go under the water. With a light bounce she jumped and sunk under the clear surface, the cold stinging her head and numbing it for a moment, and as she closed her eyes the water took her in. After a few seconds her body fell to the temperature of the water and it felt a little warmer now. It was pleasant but not by much. Still in these few moments under the water she began trying to get off all the surface grime that had littered her skin and hair. Running her hands over her thighs and stomach, her fingertips grazed her skin with a bit of friction in an attempt to rub it off. She got some but not all of it of course. No longer being able to last in the cold lake she returned to the surface for air.

"You're really graceful, you know."

Jumping at the voice, Bo turned her gaze to the shore and had found that certain dark haired elf sitting on a rather large rock staring at her with a big smile.

"Merrill!" Bo said as she tried to cover herself up, her golden eyes suddenly glancing around with her next words. "Where's Theron?"

Still smiling the girl leaned forward with her head resting in her hands. "Oh he got too busy talking to a crow... saying things. I got bored and I thought I'd come check up on you."

Staring at the other elf who had only been a few feet away from her, Bo watched her carefully. It hadn't been the first time that another woman had seen her in the nude, Shianni and herself bathing together often times, but it was just the other female's sudden appearance that shocked her the most. They continued to stare at one another and after a moment of settling down Bo let her arms swing to her side.

"I'll be done in just a minute. Hold on." She said then as she turned around.

"Don't rush! Take your time!" Merrill replied quickly which caused Bo to pause slightly.

"No, it's ok. I was just about finished anyway."

"It's barely been ten minutes and it's so dreadful at the camp. Let me help you! Please! I'm very good at washing backs."

The girl's persistence had been both a little endearing and confusing. Though the other dalish had been tolerant of her existence Merrill seemed to have been beyond excited to do even the smallest of things that had included her. Bo stood with her back facing the dark haired girl and in the silence she wondered what to do. It had all been so odd and she would have preferred to have just gotten it over with but the small plea that came from behind her made her break, however, and without looking back she inched her way towards Merrill. Happily the innocent girl quickly grabbed the scented soap and put some in her hand in order to begin the strange bonding experience. It was relaxing feeling another's touch against her body.

Sitting on her knees in the water, Bo felt as Merrill rubbed the liquid onto her and refreshed her skin. The caramel hue began to return as all the nasty and grimy dirt had been washed away and though at first a little unsure of it all she had been thankful for Merrill's help. It was quiet and in this peace they had both found strange serenity.

"Why aren't you like the others who resent me?" Bo asked then as she ran some of the liquid over her arms.

"Because I think we have a lot to learn from other elves," Merrill responded in that same happy tone. "A lot of the others don't think so but I think if we're to have our culture survive we should stick together instead of push each other away."

Instead of responding Bo merely kept washing herself up and let the words sink into her mind. Though a simple reason it made her wonder what it would have been like if all the elves had just stuck together instead of be divided. There had been a number of instances where she had watched as humans separate over silly reasons and though at the time she had thought it was just another stupid human action, it was re-visioned at this point that elves had been no better. Back in the city elves needed to stick together and any bickering had been most nonconstructive for the group entirely which for the most part had been frowned upon. If they hadn't been able to stick together then who else had there been for them? So of course the natural and sensible thing to do was get over it and stay a family instead of tiny groups.

But when it came right down to it elves we're just as cut up. Remembering the strange stares and leers that had come from the group earlier made Bo frown slightly. They had probably been worse than the humans if not the same entirely.

"Well, thank you." the girl in the water said then to the girl on the rock.

"You're welcome!" Merrill said as she lathered the soap-like stuff into the white curls giving it both a radiant hue and gentle floral smell. However she paused suddenly the moment something had been heard off in the distance and together they both stopped to listen in. Something had been close.

Suddenly seeing two blond elves appearing out of the foliage, Bo got to her feet and stare at them. It was an odd reaction that she had suddenly regretted remembering that she had in fact been in the middle of a bath and awkwardly froze in place. Merrill began to shoo them away and for a moment everyone had just awkwardly stare at each other. Clearly noticing that one had been Tamlen and assuming that the other had been who he had gone off to see, Bo flushed and stare at both while they stare right back at the naked young woman. Nobody had really known what was going on and it seemed as if time had stopped until another voice could be heard.

"Merrill! What's wro -" Turning around Bo had noticed that Theron had come rushing to make sure that everything had been all right. Now that everyone had noticed everyone, Theron let his gaze fall upon the flushing dark skinned woman before him while Merrill scared off the two intruders. It took a few seconds but Theron quickly turned around and apologized while Bo went beneath the water. It was cold but it numbed her thoughts thankfully. Merrill scared him off as well and gathered her new friend's things for her to dry up quickly. It had probably been one of the most exciting bathing sessions poor Bo had ever experienced.

Returning to the surface Bo quickly walked to the rocky shore with a cold shiver and quickly grabbed the little cloth that Merrill had in her hand to dry off with. Within a few short moments the girl had put on her new attire of dalish clothes and though she looked like one she didn't feel like it. All she could think of how awkward it was going to be when she returned to camp not only because it was apparent she had been trying to pose as one of them but also because of the two who had barged in on them. Unfortunately the camp had been small so it was expected they would see one another before the rest of the day had been through.

Nevertheless Bo and Merrill walked back up to regroup with Theron who had been sitting on a fallen tree waiting patiently for the two women to return. Though both Theron and Bo refused to look at one another they could feel just how awful it would be for the next little bit. Merrill on the other hand happily took the white haired girl's arm in hers as they walked back to camp, gently rubbing it with excitement. Though it had only been a short time there had been something about the girl that had been trustworthy. May it have been her innocent naivety or gentle persistence, Bo felt like today she had found a piece of happiness among all of this dark. However Bo couldn't help but to ignore the good feelings for the bad and dwell upon the two males from earlier.

It certainly was going to be awkward later and it made her anxious for when they would see one another again.


End file.
